Tiger Woods makes huge golf ball distance claim ahead of 2026 PGA Tour season

Is Tiger Woods plotting a shock return? Fresh comments about his new Bridgestone golf ball suggest the 15-time major champion may be closer to teeing it up than anyone thought. It's certainly a positive update. 

MyGolfSpy has revealed Woods, 49, has already seen a jump in ball speed with Bridgestone’s new VS model that he plans to game in 2026. 

The site also published a photo of Woods proudly flashing the VS Proto earlier this week, sparking fresh hype around his comeback.

“For what it’s worth, Tiger ‘confirmed the ball speed increase’ and said he’s excited to put it in play in 2026,” the outlet reported, before cheekily noting, “Tiger is a little banged up right now. Again.”

They’re not wrong. Woods, 49, is recovering from the seventh back surgery of his career, a lumbar disc replacement on his L4/5. 

The operation was a success, but he’s been ordered to rest after already spending months rehabbing from a torn Achilles.

With no official return date, Woods joins close pal Justin Thomas on the sidelines—Thomas is out after undergoing a microdiscectomy. 

It’s a double blow for December’s PNC Championship, where Tiger usually plays with son Charlie and Thomas with his dad, Mike. 

Thomas is confirmed out… and Woods? Let’s just say no one’s holding their breath. Team Woods isn’t even listed in the field.

But here’s where fans are buzzing: if Tiger is already noticing ball-speed gains with Bridgestone’s new dimples, he’s clearly been hitting shots recently—either before or (whisper it…) after the back surgery in October. 

That alone has fueled hopes that he might return sooner than the medical experts advising him to wait until The Masters in April.

Woods also turns 50 next month, meaning he’s finally eligible for the PGA Tour Champions in 2026. 

Adding fuel to the fire, he was spotted wearing an Insperity logo—a senior-tour partner—during Bridgestone’s latest shoot, where his new ball comments surfaced.

One thing is certain: Tiger’s smiling, testing gear, and talking ball speed. 

And for a man who’s survived more comebacks than a Hollywood action hero, that’s enough to keep the rumour mill roaring.